Semantic Note Taking System

ABSTRACT

A semantic note taking system and method for collecting information, enriching the information, and/or binding the information to services is provided. User-created notes are enriched with labels, context traits, and relevant data to minimize friction in the note-taking process. In other words, the present invention is directed to collecting unscripted data, adding more meaning and use out of the data, and binding the data to services. Mutable and late-binding to services is also provided to allow private thoughts to be published to a myriad of different applications and services in a manner compatible with how thoughts are processed in the brain. User interfaces and semantic skins are also provided to derive meaning out of notes without requiring a great deal of user input. Linking physical objects to notes are also provided, such as through QR codes.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/381,594 filed Mar. 13, 2009, which is incorporated herein byreference. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/381,594 filed Mar. 13,2009 is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/322,046 filed, Jan. 27, 2009, which is incorporated herein byreference.

This application is further a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/349,901 filed Jan. 13, 2012, which isincorporated herein by reference. U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/349,901 filed Jan. 13, 2012 claims priority from U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application 61/461,097 filed Jan. 13, 2011, which is incorporatedherein by reference. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/349,901 filedJan. 13, 2012 application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/381,594 filed Mar. 13, 2009, which isincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to online social media. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to collecting and sharinginformation in a network environment.

BACKGROUND

Today, a tremendous number of online services and applications areavailable. The existing online services are related to virtually everyaspect of life, including work, relationships, health, entertainment,news, etc. Access to these online services typically only requires anInternet connection. However, the abundance of services also causesinformation overload. As a result, disorganized information is floatingaround many users' lives and brains. Instead of positively influencingour lives, the services become cumbersome and are often neglected. Inparticular, the advent of social media has made it easier to shareinformation with more people and make connections with people who weotherwise would not. However, the ubiquity of social media (such asthrough social networks) has created a further explosion in theinformation content of our lives and relationships. This informationclutter reduces a user's productivity and shortens the user's attentionspan.

Typically, ideas begin with private thoughts that are later refined andshared to friends and, perhaps, the public at large. Who these ideas areto be shared with often evolve over time. Existing online services arenot amenable to this process of developing ideas and deciding where toshare them at a later time. For example, existing social media forcesideas immediately into the public domain. Information or media posted onsocial networks (e.g. Facebook.com, Twitter.com, and Flickr.com) orblogs (e.g. Wordpress.com and Blogger.com) are immediately accessible byother users. To post information in existing social media requiresupfront cognitive decision-making related to the audience level of theinformation at the time the information was collected or generated. Thisprocess does not match the way human brains function.

Systems, such as emailing to oneself and note-taking applications (e.g.Evernote.com) exist for users to store private thoughts. However, theseexisting systems are not integrated with other services or applications.In other words, a user would have to access and sign on to multipleapplications simultaneously to utilize information stored in theapplication storing the private thoughts. Because of the lack ofintegration and inconvenience of these systems, they are seldom used,therefore, ideas are often forgotten. In addition, existing note-takingapplications require users to provide all of the information content tothe note. By forcing a user to provide all of the information content,the note-taking process is typically tedious, error-prone, andincomplete.

The present invention addresses at least the above-described difficultproblems and advances the art with a semantic note taking system andmethod.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a semantic note taking system andmethod for collecting information, enriching the information, andbinding the information to services. A plurality of users arecommunicatively connected to an application server to create one or morenotes that can be bound to one or more of a plurality of services andstored in a database. The application server operates a plurality offunctions, including a note taking function for allowing each of theusers to create one or more notes, a categorizing function for labelingeach of the notes with one or more changeable categories, a contextfunction for associating one or more context traits with each of thenotes, a binding function to establish one or more changeable bindingrules for each of the notes, wherein the binding rules determine one ormore of the services where the note is to be bound, and wherein thebinding rules are related to the content of the note, the categories ofthe note, the context traits of the note, a user binding selection, orany combination thereof, and a communication function for communicatingeach of the notes to one or more of the services where the note is to bebound.

A note includes text, audio media, visual media, audio-visual media,recorded data, a weblink, a pointer to an information source, or anycombination thereof. In an embodiment, one or more of the context traitsassociated with the note includes a time, a location, physical datarelating to the user device used to generate the note, or anycombination thereof. In another embodiment, relevant data is derivedbased on one or more of the context traits and the relevant data isattached to the note. The relevant data can be derived by matching oneor more of the context traits with data from an information module suchas a calendar, an address book, a contact list, a user profile, a userhistory, or any combination thereof. In an embodiment, one or more ofthe context traits associated with the note is based on one or morecategories of the note, the content of the note, a user history, or anycombination thereof.

In a preferred embodiment, the binding rules include one or morepublication properties, such as an audience level for the note and/orone or more locations to publish the note. The locations to publish thenote can include a private domain of the user, one or more friends ofthe user, one or more computer-implemented social networks, a blog, anonline discussion board, a website, or any combination thereof. In anembodiment, the binding rules are automatically determined based atleast partially on one or more of the categories, one or more contexttraits, the note content, a user history, or any combination thereof.

The application server of an embodiment of the present inventionoperates a suggestion function for suggesting one or more services,binding rules, and/or categories. The suggestions can be based at leastpartially on one or more the categories, one or more of the contexttraits, the note content, a user history, one or more binding rules, orany combination thereof. In an embodiment, a note is automatically boundto one of the suggested services. Preferably, the suggestion functionuses a user history of selections of services and/or categories.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a user interface is providedto allow user entry of the categories and binding rules for a note,wherein the user interface includes a first symbol associated with thecategories of the note and a second symbol associated with the bindingrules of the note. Preferably, the user entry of the first symboltriggers a display of one or more of the categories suggested to theuser and selectable by the user. Similarly, the user entry of the secondsymbol triggers a display of one or more of the binding rules suggestedto the user and selectable by the user. In another embodiment, a userinterface corresponding to each of the services where a note can bebound is provided. Each of the service-specific user interfaces includesone or more buttons for initiating an action for the servicecorresponding to the user interface. Preferably, a single click of oneof the buttons initiates creation of the note, automatic addition ofcontent to the note, automatic labeling of the note with categories, andcommunication of the note to the service corresponding to the userinterface.

In an embodiment, the user device operated by users to access theapplication server is a mobile device that communicates with theapplication server over a wireless network. The services where a notecan be bound are selected from the group consisting of a website, a webapplication, a computer-implemented social network, a blog, a reviewwebsite, a product review website, an entertainment website, a healthapplication, a medical application, an online retailer, an emailapplication, a research application, a clinical application, a calendar,and an address book.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The present invention together with its objectives and advantages willbe understood by reading the following description in conjunction withthe drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows an example of a semantic note taking system according tothe present invention.

FIG. 2 shows an example of mutable binding of notes to multiple servicesaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a flow chart of an example note creation, enrichment, andbinding according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a flow chart of example steps taken by a user according tothe present invention.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a suggestion function according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 6 shows an example user interface for semantic note takingaccording to the present invention.

FIGS. 7A-B show examples of semantic skin user interfaces correspondingto services according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 shows the core services of an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 9 shows the technology services underlying the core services shownin FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 shows a flow chart of an example login and authenticationfunction in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 shows a flow chart of an example Queue service in an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 shows an example of using semantic note taking with onlineretailers according to the present invention.

FIGS. 13A-B show an example of generating a note summary and private URLfrom a note, encrypting the note summary and private URL to form encodedtext, generating a two-dimensional QR code from the encoded text, andaccessing the note by decrypting the encoded text to identify theprivate URL according to the present invention.

FIG. 14 shows an example of linking a semantic note with a physicalobject through a two-dimensional bar code according to the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The abundance of online services provides users with opportunities toperform many tasks and connect with numerous people from nearly anylocation. However, the large number of services often cause informationoverload and a user cannot efficiently organize the explosion ofinformation content concerning the user's life, work, and relationships.The present invention is directed to a semantic note taking system andmethod to collect, enrich, and bind information to services. Semanticnote taking allows users to effortless offload information from privatethought streams for later determination of where to bind these thoughts.In addition, semantic note taking minimizes the friction to record andshare ideas by automatically enriching the note and reducing unnecessaryuser input. In other words, the present invention is directed to asystem and method to collect unscripted data, add more meaning and useout of the data, and bind the data to services.

FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a semantic note taking system 100according to the present invention. The semantic note taking system 100includes an application server 110 that is accessible by a plurality ofusers U₁-U_(N) for creating one or more notes, categorizing the notes,and binding the notes to one or more services S₁-S_(M). The usersU₁-U_(N) connect to the application server 110 through any devicecapable of being communicatively connected to a network, such as theInternet. The user devices can include a computer, a laptop, a personaldigital assistant (PDA), a cell phone, a mobile device, or a smartphone. FIG. 1 shows user U₁ with a mobile phone 140 that is connected tothe application server 110, such as through a wireless network.

A note taking function, operated by the application server 110, allowseach of the users U₁-U_(N) to create one or more notes. Notes caninclude text, audio media, visual media, audio-visual media, recordeddata, a weblink, a pointer to an information source (e.g. a bookmark),or any other type of data. Notes created by the users U₁-U_(N) aretransmitted from the user devices to the application server 110 andstored in the database 120 for later binding to one or more of theservices S₁-S_(M).

The application server 110 also operates a categorizing function tolabel the notes with one or more categories. In an embodiment, thecategorizing function allows users U₁-U_(N) to label the notes, thoughautomatic or suggested note labeling is also possible. It is noted thatone or more of the categories of each note is changeable. Labeling anote with categories enriches the note. The note is further enriched bythe context function operated by the application server 110, whichassociates one or more context traits with the note. Context traitsassociated with a note can be based on one or more of the categories ofthe note, the content of the note, a user history, or any combinationthereof. Examples of context traits include a time, a location, andphysical data relating to the user device. For example, the mobile phone140 of user U₁ is capable of measuring the location where the note wascreated (e.g. by using GPS measurements) and this location can beautomatically associated with the note without user input, therebyenriching the note.

Context information is not restricted to a time-stamp or location-stampassociated with the note. In a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, relevant data is derived based on one or more of the contexttraits. Relevant data can be derived by matching one or more of thecontext traits with data from an information module 130, such as acalendar, an address book, a contact list, a user profile, a userhistory, or any combination thereof. For example, a time context traitwhen the note is created is matched with a meeting time indicated by acalendar information module. Because the calendar includes relevantdata, e.g. the participants of the meeting and the discussion topics ofthe meeting, this relevant data can be attached to the note to furtherenrich the note.

A binding function is provided to establish one or more binding rulesfor a note. The binding rules determine one or more services S₁-S_(M) orapplications where the note is to be bound. The binding rules arerelated to the content of the note, the categories of the note, thecontext traits of the note, a user binding selection, or any combinationthereof. In an embodiment, the binding rules of a note are automaticallydetermined based at least partially on one or more categories of thenote, one or more context traits, the content of the note, the userhistory, or any combination thereof.

The services S₁-S_(M) where a note can be bound can include a website, aweb application, a computer-implemented social network, a blog, a reviewwebsite, a product review website, an entertainment website, a healthapplication, a medical application, an online retailer, an emailapplication, a research application, a clinical application, a calendar,an address book, or any combination thereof. A note that is bound to aservice is communicated to the service. What is done with the note afterit is communicated depends on the particular functions of the serviceand the content of the note. For example, a note bound to a blog couldbe published on the blog and a note bound to a research application caninclude data for analysis by the research application. In addition tocommunicating a note to a service, in an embodiment of the presentinvention, data can be extracted from the service where the note isbound and the extracted data is added to the note.

The services S₁-S_(M) shown in FIG. 1 are generally not integrated andsome of the services S₁-S_(m) where a note can be bound may also requireuser login or authentication. To facilitate the integration of theservices and allow access to the services, in an embodiment, theapplication server 110 includes a login function to provide logininformation for access to the services. Integration of the servicesenables a user to collect or create information content and offload thecontent to a single location, instead of having to interact with amyriad of different services separately.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the binding rulescomprise one or more publication properties. The publication propertiesinclude an audience or privacy level for the note and the location topublish the note. FIG. 2 shows three notes N₁, N₂, and N₃ created byuser U₁ and the binding of these notes to different services. Theaudience levels generally include private, social, and publicdesignations. The locations to publish the note includes a privatedomain of the user, one or more friends F₁-F₃ of the user, one or morecomputer-implemented social networks, a blog, an online discussionboard, a website, or any combination thereof. FIG. 2 shows note N₁ bound210 to a private journal and bound 220 to an email application. In otherwords, the binding rules for note N₁ indicate that the note should becommunicated to the journal service and the email application with theappropriate audience levels.

A note can be bound to any number of services at any time. Importantly,the binding of the note is changeable. In other words, a user can changethe binding rules to alter the location where a note is to be bound. InFIG. 2, note N₁ is originally bound 210 to a journal but is later bound230 to Social Network 1. Similarly, note N₃ is originally bound 240 to ablog, but is later bound 250 to an electronic commerce website. Themutable binding rules and late-binding method of the present inventionis in accord with how ideas are typically generated in our brains. Inparticular, ideas and information typically start as private thoughtsthat are later shared and discussed with people we know. Finally, theinformation is published to the world. This is in contrast to existingsocial media where generated media are forced immediately into thepublic realm.

FIG. 2 also shows note N₁ published and communicated to associates orfriends F₁-F₃ of user U₁. By publishing note N₁ to friends F₁-F₃, an adhoc community or an ad hoc social network is developed around note N₁.In an embodiment, one or more of the friends F₁-F₃ can change the noteN₁. In particular, data can be extracted from one of the friends F₁-F₃and the extracted data is added to the note N₁.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show flow charts for exemplary methods of creating,enriching, and binding the notes according to the present invention. Thesteps circled with a dashed line 310 in FIG. 3 show the enrichment ofthe notes by labeling the note with categories, associating contexttraits with the note, and deriving relevant data based on the contexttraits. FIG. 4 shows the steps undertaken by a user of the semantic notetaking system of the present invention.

FIGS. 3 and 4 also include the steps of suggesting binding rules andreceiving suggestions, respectively. The application server operates asuggestion function for suggesting one or more services where the notecan be bound to the user who created the note. FIG. 5 shows the inputsfor the suggestion function 510, which can include the content of thenote, the categories of the note, the context traits, and/or the userhistory. Based on these inputs, the suggestion function 510 suggestsbinding rules 520, such as a list of suggested services where the notecan be bound. For example, FIG. 5 shows a ranked list of services with“Service 5” being the top-ranked service where the note can be bound.

In an embodiment, the suggested services or binding rules are selectableby the user, where the user selection binds the note to the selectedservice. User selections can be stored for reference by the suggestionfunction. For example, a first note is created by a user, labeled with“Category 4”, and bound to “Service 5” by user selection. Because ofthis user selection, “Service 5” would be suggested for a second notealso labeled with “Category 4”. It is noted that the first and secondnotes can be created by the same user, or they can be created bydifferent users. In other words, the suggestion function 510 can rely onthe user history of the same user or the user history of a community ofusers. It is noted that the association of a service to a category ismutable and evolvable depending on user behavior. For example, though“Category 4” and “Service 5” are associated in the above example, theassociation of services for “Category 4” could change to “Service 3” ifusers frequently alter the selection from “Service 5” to “Service 3” fornotes having a label of “Category 4”.

In an embodiment, a note is automatically bound to one of the suggestedservices without user selection. In a preferred embodiment, the storageof past user selections enables intelligent and automatic binding ofnotes to services. Automatic binding of notes to services reduces theneed for user input.

The suggestion function 510 is also capable of suggesting categories tolabel a note in addition to or replacement of suggesting binding rules.Suggestions of categories can be analogous to the suggestions ofservices described in the previous paragraphs. In particular,suggestions of categories can be based on the content of the note, thecontext traits of the note, other categories of the note, a userhistory, the binding rules established for the note, the servicesdetermined by the binding rules, or any combination thereof. Forexample, a note contains a description of a product. Based on this notecontent, a category named “product” is suggested to the user forlabeling the note. In another example, the association of a service anda category based on a user history can be used to suggest one or morecategories for notes having binding rules with that particular service.In an embodiment, a note is automatically labeled with one or moresuggested categories.

FIG. 6 shows an example user interface 600 for user creation of a noteand user entry of categories and binding rules for the note. In anembodiment, the user interface 600 is accessible via a web browser.However, alternative methods of accessing user interfaces known in theart may also be used. In a preferred embodiment, the user interface 600allows user entry of a first symbol 610 to designate entry of a categoryand a second symbol 620 to designate entry of a binding rule. As shownin FIG. 6, the first symbol 610 is the “#” sign and categorization isaccomplished by placing a “#” symbol adjacent to a word. Similarly, thesecond symbol 620 is the “@” sign to mark a service for a binding rule.The first 610 and second 620 symbols allow easy entry of categories andbinding rules. As can be appreciated by one or ordinary skill in theart, the present invention is not limited to the use of symbols forcategorization and binding rules.

In a preferred embodiment, entry of the first symbol 610 triggers a listof previously used categories to be displayed to the user. Inparticular, the list can be filtered to only include categories that maybe relevant to the note, such as based on the content of the note or thecontext traits of the note. In an embodiment, users can overridesuggestions and label the note with non-suggested category or a newcategory. Similarly, entry of the second symbol 620 triggers a list ofservices or binding rules to be displayed to the user. In a preferredembodiment, user selection of a category to label the note triggers adisplay of suggested services where the note can be bound. Conversely,user selection of a binding rule triggers a display of suggestedcategories to label the note. The suggestions can be based on previouslystored user selections, i.e. a user history, or any other bases asdescribed herein with respect to the suggestion function.

The user interface 600 also includes a list of categories 630 used inall stored notes. A user can select a category from the list 630 to viewnotes labeled with the selected category. In an embodiment, a search box640 is also available to find previously saved notes. FIG. 6 also showspreviously saved notes 660 and 680. The note 660 includes a photo 665and a weblink 670. The note 680 includes text description of a wine andis labeled 690 with the categories “wine” and “product” by use of thefirst symbol. The user interface 600 also includes a user name 650, suchas the user's email address. In an embodiment, the application serverrequires a user authentication to access the semantic note takingsystem.

Embodiments of the present invention are also directed to userinterfaces corresponding to services to facilitate simple collection ofdata and binding to services. In an embodiment, a user interface isprovided for each of the services where a note can be bound. The userinterface corresponding to a particular service includes one or morebuttons for initiating an action specific to that service. Servicespecific user interfaces are referred to as semantic skins. In apreferred embodiment, a single click of a button on a semantic skininitiates the creation of a note, automatic content generation andaddition to the note, automatic labeling of the note with one or morecategories appropriate to the service, and communication of the note tothe service.

FIG. 7A shows an example of a semantic skin 710 for a social networkservice and FIG. 7B shows an example of a semantic skin 750 for a healthor diet application. The semantic skin 710 includes a button 720 to“poke” a friend of the user in the social network, a button 730 tosubmit the current status of the user, and a button 740 to post a phototo the social network. The semantic skin 750 in the example shown byFIG. 7B includes a button 760 to enter exercise activity, a button 770to enter diet information, and a button 780 to measure medical readings.The semantic skins can rely on context traits derived from the devicewhere the data entry is performed. For example, the button 730 ofsemantic skin 710 can utilize the current location of the user asmeasured by the user device and publish that location to the socialnetwork. In another example, a user is operating a device that includesa heart monitor and the button 780 extracts heart rate measurements,attaches the measurements to a note, and communicates the note to ahealth service.

In a preferred embodiment, buttons in user interfaces and semantic skinsare programmable. The buttons serve the purpose of providing simple orsingle click entry of data and minimizes the friction for a user tocollect information and bind the information to services.

FIGS. 8-11 include details of a functional embodiment of the presentinvention. The exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 8-11 are directed tosocial network services, such as Facebook.com and Twitter.com, thoughits extension to other services can be appreciated by one of ordinaryskill in the art. The present invention is not limited to the embodimentof FIGS. 8-11; alternatives to the services and applications describedin FIGS. 8-11 can be identified by one of ordinary skill in the art.

FIGS. 8-9 show the technologies used by the application server in anexemplary embodiment of the present invention. The core services areshown by FIG. 8 and include the AuthenticationService, NodeService,NodeMetaService, LabelService, SearchService, UndoManager, QueueService,LogService, and PrivacyService. Each of the core services has its owninstance of a BerkeleyDB Java Edition as a backing store. FIG. 9 showsan initial user request 910 that is handled by a web server, e.g.lighttpd. Lighttpd serves up all the static content. If the request isfor dynamic content then it is forwarded to the Jetty Java ApplicationServer. Jetty runs inside of the Java Virtual Machine. In the embodimentshown in FIG. 9, the struts2 web framework is used inside of Jetty.Struts2 determines which services are needed to fulfill the request anduses Google Guice to create all the objects needed by the user. Afterall the objects have been created, struts2 fulfills the users requestand generates the page. The jQuery JavaScript library is used to speedup and simplify cross-platform development. Google collections Libraryis used to augment the standard Java collections.

FIG. 10 shows a flow chart related to the AuthenticationService of anexemplary embodiment of the present invention. The AuthenticationServiceallows a user to communicate with any service that requiresauthentication or login information; thereby the semantic note takingsystem can be integrated with any number of third party applications andservices. In the example shown in FIG. 10, a user request to share anote on Facebook is shown. The request is handled by struts2, whichchecks if the user is a valid user of the semantic note taking system.If the request is from a valid user, a request is sent to theFacebookService to verify if the user has valid Facebook credentials. Ifthe user has a valid Facebook account, the request is sent to theQueueService to en-queue the Facebook share request.

FIG. 11 shows a flow chart related to an embodiment of the QueueService.When an event is en-queued in the QueueService's queue, the QueueServicechecks if the note associated with that event has been previously sharedto Facebook. The LogService tracks when a note has been successfullyshared to Facebook. If the note has been previously successfully shared,it is removed from the queue. The QueueService then checks if there wasa problem sharing the note. If the note has had a failure, the shareevent is timed out and put back in the queue to be run after X minutes.The note is then pushed to the user's Facebook account. The note ispushed by the QueueService calling the FacebookService to fulfill theshare request. If the request succeeds, the event is removed from theQueueService's queue and logged to LogService.

EXAMPLES

The following examples demonstrate exemplary applications for theembodiments of the present invention. It is noted that applications forthe present invention are not limited by these examples; otherapplications of the present invention can be identified by one ofordinary skill in the art.

Example 1 Product Review

A user enjoys a product, such as a glass of wine. During a dinnerengagement The user jots down information related to the wine, such asthe brand, vintage, variety, etc., by accessing a user interface to thesemantic note taking system. The note includes a label of “#wine” forfuture reference to the note. Context traits, including the GPScoordinates where the note was created is associated with the note.Using the GPS coordinates and accessing a directory information module,the name of the restaurant is derived and automatically associated withthe note. The note is saved in the database.

At a later date, the user chooses to discuss the wine with friends ofthe user who may be wine enthusiasts. By binding the wine review note toa social network or an email application, the note is communicated toone or more friends of the user. One of the friends writes a briefreview of the wine and attaches that review to the note. After the notehas been shared to friends of the user, the user decides to write a winereview to be posted on a wine website. The user refines the note andbinds it to the wine review website to be published to the world.

Example 2 Retail

FIGS. 12A-B show an example of a retail application with bidding frommultiple online retailers 1230. In FIG. 12A, user U₁ creates a note 1220on a user device 1210. The note 1220 includes an identification of aproduct and binding rules that indicate it is to be bound to retailersR₁, R₂, and R_(N). The note 1220 is communicated to the retailers R₁,R₂, and R_(N) based on the binding rules. After the note 1220 isreceived by the retailers R₁, R₂, and R_(N), the retailers send offers1240 to user U₁ for the product described in the note 1220.Alternatively or additionally, the retailers R₁, R₂, and R_(N) can sendadvertisements, coupons, or any information relating to the product tothe user U₁.

Example 3 Health

The present invention can be directed to a dietary, health, or medicalservice. For example, with minimal friction, a user can submit his orher dietary behavior to be tracked by a diet service. In anotherexample, medical information can be collected at a hospital visit ordoctor's appointment and submitted to an electronic medical record (EMR)application.

Example 4 Research

The semantic note taking system of the present invention can also beapplied to a research study. In an embodiment of the present invention,research data is collected in a note. The research data can be collectedfrom the field via a mobile device. The research data is enriched withtime and location context traits. For repetitive data collection, asemantic skin would provide simple one click user entry of data. Forexample, the present invention can facilitate frictionless datagathering from door-to-door surveys. A door-to-door surveyor would neednot enter the address of each participant of the survey as locationcontext traits would be automatically associated with the note. Relevantdata (e.g. resident names and demographics) can be automaticallyaccessed based on the location context traits.

Another aspect of the present invention is directed to semantic notetaking systems that link physical objects to the notes. In anembodiment, the system employs a two-dimensional bar code, such as aQuick Response (QR) code, that can be placed on or near a physicalobject. When imaged, the code links the physical object with one or morenotes, such as by associating a public or private URL with the code. TheQR code is preferably captured with a digital camera on a mobile phone,however, other methods of capturing the QR code can be used. The URLassociated with the code can also be associated with notes from asemantic note taking system as described above, thereby the physicalobject is connected with the note.

The following describes an embodiment of a semantic note taking systemand method with QR codes. First a note is created, enriched, and boundto services as described herein. A QR code is then generated and put onan object in the physical world. The object with the QR code is thenviewed or imaged, preferably with a cell phone camera. As describedabove, the QR code is used to link the object with the note. It isimportant to note that contextual information can also be linked,including the location where the object was imaged, the history of thenote, and other available contextual information. In addition, the notemay be a shared note in an ad hoc network of users, therefore the othermembers of the ad hoc network are also linked with the imaged object.

In one embodiment, a private URL linked with the QR code and a note isavailable for users to bind with services or share with other users. Inanother embodiment, the QR code is linked with an encrypted link forrestricted use, such as for managing private records of an organization.In this embodiment, encryption of the QR code can require an encryptionkey that is only possessed by authorized viewers, wherein the QR code ismeaningless without the encryption key. An authorized viewer can viewthe QR code with his or her phone to generate encoded text, convert theencoded text using the encryption key into a link to a private URL.Encryption of the QR code allows it to be placed in public locationswhile maintaining privacy. For example, inventory located in a publiclocation can be labeled with an encrypted QR code that allows authorizedpersonnel to view the link associated with the QR code, but prevents anyunauthorized views.

In an embodiment, a note is a shared note between one or more users anda QR code is used to link physical objects with the shared note. Theshared note includes a chronology and history of related comments,replies, and links to objects and/or locations. For example, the sharednote includes a chronological list of items, such as user comments andpostings, with the latest item at the top of the list. It is noted thatone or more of the items includes links with objects labeled with a QRcode.

In another embodiment, a shared note is related to a physical objectlabeled with a QR code. The note includes enriched and contextualinformation related to the object and a list of items (e.g. comments andreplies) shared to the community of users having access to the sharednote. Preferably, the items are listed in chronological order.

FIGS. 13A-B show a preferred embodiment of the present invention withautomatic generation of a QR code from a shared note and accessing thenote using the QR code. FIG. 13A shows a shared note 1310 with a list ofuser entries. The shared note 1310 can include a conversation betweenmultiple users. Preferably, the comments and entries in the conversationare listed in chronological order with the most recent entry at the top.A private URL 1320 is associated with the note. The private URL 1320provides a link to the entire conversation of the shared note 1310 andall of the content of the shared note 1310. An encryption code 1330 isgenerated to allow only authorized users from accessing the private URL1320, and thereby the shared note 1310. A matrix code, such as a QR code1340, is automatically generated to provide a link between the note anda physical object.

FIG. 13B shows an exemplary process of updating the shared note 1310using the QR code.

First, the QR code 1340 is viewed or imaged by a user, such as byplacing the QR code 1340 proximate to a physical object of interest andimaging the QR code 1340 with a cell phone camera. If the user is anauthorized user with the proper encryption key, the user can thendecrypt the encoded text in the QR code 1350 to reveal the private URL1320. The private URL 1320 provides a link to the shared note 1310 andthe user can add an entry into the conversation in the shared note 1310.In the embodiment shown in FIG. 13B, the new user entry is placed at thetop of the shared note 1310 as it is the most recent entry.

It is important to note that the QR code 1340 allows for a back andforth between one or more physical objects with a shared note 1310. Inother words, the process of FIGS. 13A-B can be repeated any number oftimes, thereby physical objects labeled with the QR code 1340 becomelinked with the conversation of the shared note 1310.

The following is a list of example applications for semantic note takingwith QR codes. It is noted that this list is not exhaustive and one ofordinary skill in the art will appreciate alternative applications orchanges to these applications.

-   -   Home or office inventory: QR codes and semantic notes can be        used to inventory items in the home or office. For example, QR        codes can be attached to wine bottles in a wine cellar and        linked to the corresponding wine review notes. FIG. 14 shows an        example of linking a physical object (e.g. wine bottle 1430)        with a note 1420. A QR code 1440 is attached to the wine bottle        1430. The note can be written on a mobile phone 1410 and the QR        code 1440 can be captured with the camera on the same mobile        phone 1410 or a different phone.    -   Health, Diet, and Exercise: QR codes can be attached to        medication to track use and refills. Food labels can rely on QR        codes for a diet log. Exercise equipment can have QR codes to        manage an exercise regimen.    -   Equipment service and repair: By affixing QR codes to equipment        and linking them with notes, a usage and repair history of the        equipment can be stored and monitored. The QR codes can be        encrypted for equipment that is accessible in a public location.    -   Janitorial: QR codes can be used for documenting cleaning and        inspections.    -   Location awareness: By placing QR codes at a particular location        (e.g. a restaurant, place of interest, etc.), a user can track        and remember where they had a certain experience that is        described in a note.

In an additional embodiment, a method and system for collectinginformation and enriching the information is provided. A note takingfunction is made available or operable to multiple users of mobiledevices for allowing each of the users to create notes on theirrespective mobile device. Examples of notes are e.g. text, audio media,visual media, audio-visual media, recorded data, a weblink, a pointer toan information source, or any combination thereof.

An information capture function is made available or operable to theusers of the mobile devices for capturing information that related to orfrom a physical object. The captured information can be: (j) an image(including e.g. a quick response (QR) code or a bar code) of thephysical object, (jj) information obtained from the image (e.g.obtaining information from the image, QR code or bar code that isquantifiable like text and numbers, or information like type or brand ofan object), (jjj) data obtained via one or more radio-frequencies (e.g.near-field communication data or RF IDs), (jv) a code pertaining to thephysical object, (v) information obtained from the code; (vj) contexttraits related to the physical object, or (vjj) any combination thereof.Examples of one or more context traits are: a location, a place, a time,a source, a related note, a person, people, a group, a tag, an identity,sensor data, a media file, an audio file, physical data relating to oneor more of the mobile devices, derived data, or any combination thereof.

A sharing function is made available or operable to the users of themobile devices for streaming over a communication network and therewithsharing among the users notes and captured information. Streaming can bedone among the mobile devices, over the Internet, using Cloud sharingover the Internet, or a combination thereof.

A categorizing function operable to the users of the mobile device oroperable by an application server and communicatively operable to theusers on the mobile devices for categorizing the streamed notes andstreamed information with one or more categories. Categorizing can bebased on cross-referencing: (k) one or more of the context traits, (kk)one or more notes, (kkk) one or more images, (kv) one or more aspects ofthe obtained information from the images, (k) one or more codespertaining to the physical objects, (vk) information obtained from thecodes, or (vkk) any combination thereof.

In one aspect the one or more notes can be enriched with one or more ofthe context traits, one or more aspects of the captured information, ora combination thereof. Vice versa, one or more aspects of the capturedinformation can be enriched with one or more of the context traits, oneor more of the notes, or a combination thereof.

As one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, various changes,substitutions, and alterations could be made or otherwise implementedwithout departing from the principles of the present invention, e.g.notes can be communicated to any service capable of being connected tothe network, and any network, such as a WAN or LAN, can be used inaddition to or in replacement of the Internet. Accordingly, the scope ofthe invention should be determined by the following claims and theirlegal equivalents.

1. A method for collecting information and enriching said information,comprising: (a) providing a note taking function to multiple users ofmobile devices for allowing each of said users to create notes on saidrespective mobile device; (b) providing an information capture functionto said users of said mobile devices for capturing information: (i) froma physical object or (ii) of said physical object, wherein said capturedinformation is: (j) an image of said physical object, (jj) informationobtained from said image, (jjj) data obtained via one or moreradio-frequencies, (jv) a code pertaining to said physical object, (v)information obtained from said code, (vj) context traits related to saidphysical object, or (vjj) any combination thereof; (c) providing asharing function to said users of said mobile devices for streaming overa communication network and therewith sharing among said users saidnotes and said captured information; and (d) providing a categorizingfunction to said users of said mobile device or operable by anapplication server and communicatively operable to said users on saidmobile devices for categorizing said streamed notes and said streamedinformation with one or more categories.
 2. The method as set forth inclaim 1, wherein said note comprises text, audio media, visual media,audio-visual media, recorded data, a weblink, a pointer to aninformation source, or any combination thereof.
 3. The method as setforth in claim 1, wherein said one or more context traits comprises alocation, a place, a time, a source, a related note, a person, people, agroup, a tag, an identity, sensor data, a media file, an audio file,physical data relating to one or more of said mobile devices, deriveddata, or any combination thereof.
 4. The method as set forth in claim 1,wherein said streaming is streaming among said mobile devices, over anInternet, using Cloud sharing over said Internet, or a combinationthereof.
 5. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein saidcategorizing is based on cross-referencing: (k) one or more of saidcontext traits, (kk) one or more of said notes, (kkk) one or more saidimages, (kv) one or more aspects of said obtained information from saidimages, (k) one or more codes pertaining to said physical objects, (vk)information obtained from said codes, or (vkk) any combination thereof.6. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said one or more of saidnotes is enriched with one or more of said context traits, one or moreaspects of said captured information, or a combination thereof.
 7. Themethod as set forth in claim 1, wherein said one or more aspects of saidcaptured information is enriched with one or more of said contexttraits, one or more of said notes, or a combination thereof.
 8. Themethod as set forth in claim 1, wherein said one or more radiofrequencies pertain to near-field communications or an RF ID code. 9.The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said image comprises a quickresponse (QR) code or a bar code.
 10. A system for collectioninformation and enriching the information, comprising: (a) a note takingfunction operable to multiple users of mobile devices for allowing eachof said users to create notes on said respective mobile device; (b) aninformation capture function operable to said users of said mobiledevices for capturing information: (i) from a physical object or (ii) ofsaid physical object, wherein said captured information is: (j) an imageof said physical object, (jj) information obtained from said image,(jjj) data obtained via one or more radio-frequencies, (jv) a codepertaining to said physical object, (v) information obtained from saidcode, (vj) context traits related to said physical object, or (vjj) anycombination thereof; (c) a sharing function operable to said users ofsaid mobile device for streaming and therewith sharing among saidmultiple users said notes and said captured information; and (d) acategorizing function operable to said users of said mobile device oroperable by an application server and communicatively operable to saidusers on said mobile devices for categorizing said streamed notes andsaid streamed information with one or more categories.
 11. The system asset forth in claim 10, wherein said note comprises text, audio media,visual media, audio-visual media, recorded data, a weblink, a pointer toan information source, or any combination thereof.
 12. The system as setforth in claim 10, wherein said one or more context traits comprises alocation, a place, a time, a source, a related note, a person, people, agroup, a tag, an identity, sensor data, a media file, an audio file,physical data relating to one or more of said mobile devices, deriveddata, or any combination thereof.
 13. The system as set forth in claim10, wherein said streaming is streaming among said mobile devices, overan Internet, using Cloud sharing over said Internet, or a combinationthereof.
 14. The system as set forth in claim 10, wherein saidcategorizing is based on cross-referencing: (k) one or more of saidcontext traits, (kk) one or more of said notes, (kkk) one or more saidimages, (kv) one or more aspects of said obtained information from saidimages, (k) one or more codes pertaining to said physical objects, (vk)information obtained from said codes, or (vkk) any combination thereof.15. The system as set forth in claim 10, wherein said one or more ofsaid notes is enriched with one or more of said context traits, one ormore aspects of said captured information, or a combination thereof. 16.The system as set forth in claim 10, wherein said one or more aspects ofsaid captured information is enriched with one or more of said contexttraits, one or more of said notes, or a combination thereof.
 17. Thesystem as set forth in claim 10, wherein said one or more radiofrequencies pertain to near-field communications or an RF ID code. 18.The system as set forth in claim 10, wherein said image comprises aquick response (QR) code or a bar code.